


The Importance of Nonverbal Communication

by GeckoGirl89



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Awkwardness, Body Language, Break Up, Double Dating, Eventual Slash and Femslash, F/F, Fix-It, Flirting, Fluffy Ending, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Implied Past Abusive Relationships (Melissa), Implied Sexual Content, Jealousy, M/M, Melissa and Lynn Deserve Better, Mentions Past Steve/Catherine, Mild Steve and Danny Bashing from Lynn's POV, Mutual Pining, POV Bisexual Character, POV Lynn Downey, Perceptive Lynn, References to 4.19 and 6.07, Resolved Sexual Tension, Spoilers for 7.16, Starts with Melissa/Danny and Steve/Lynn, Staycation, Subtext, everyone is bi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 01:57:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9101263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeckoGirl89/pseuds/GeckoGirl89
Summary: The number one priority in Lynn's relationships, regardless of commitment level, was honesty. It looked like Steve had been hiding more things from her than Lynn had thought.





	1. Signals of Attraction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kho](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kho/gifts).



> I've had this idea for a while since I saw the spoilers about 7.16 and the double date "staycation" that will happen. I thought that Lynn, as a social worker who needs to be good at reading people for her job, might pick up on some interesting vibes between Steve and Danny during their double date. 
> 
> I'm gifting this fic to kho since I had some discussions about my ideas for it with her on tumblr. She gave me the idea to add Lynn/Melissa to this story, so I owe her a lot of credit for the direction of this story.
> 
> I was inspired to write this story because I can get irritated with the way that Steve and Danny's girlfriends are used like props on the show. I was somewhat annoyed with how Steve was making out with other women in 6.11 but it didn't come up with Steve and Lynn later even though they made that relationship seem more serious in 6.14 with Lynn being upset about Steve not telling her how he had planned to propose to Catherine. I also felt really bad for Melissa in 6.14 since she loved Danny but Danny couldn't say the same in return. In canon, I would love it if Melissa decided that she deserved better than Danny and broke up with him.
> 
> I try to keep Lynn as in-character as possible, which isn't easy since she's only appeared in a few episodes. I did make her openly bi for the purposes of this story, and I also have her job come up more in this story (since it fits the plot, and since I think it also could have impacted canon in more interesting ways than it did).
> 
> I also misremembered 4.12 pretty badly, and we don't actually know Melissa's canon job. For the purposes of this fic, she's a fashion model who does some magazine and catalogue work.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lynn frowned a little. They seemed to be holding each other longer than most platonic friends would. But maybe her nonverbal communication course was just making her see stuff that wasn't there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter, expect some subtextual Lynn/Melissa and Steve/Danny that will become actual text in the next chapter.

When Lynn had lunch with her friend from HPD, Alani Kekoa, earlier that week, Lynn had told her that she and Steve would be having a double date with Danny and his girlfriend on the weekend.

"It's supposed to be a 'staycation' kind of thing at Steve's house," Lynn explained. "I think it will be kind of nice to just relax this weekend."

Alani finished sipping her soda and rested her hands on her chin. It was her familiar curious pose. "His partner, Danny?"

"Yeah, do you know him? I've never actually met Danny before."

"I've just seen Steve and Danny a few times at crimes scenes. I've never actually gotten to know them very well." Alani smirked. "From what I've heard at work, they bicker like an old married couple."

Lynn laughed at the idea. She wondered if that was really true or if Alani was overstating it. She knew partners in law enforcement could get really close sometimes, and she was sure it was nothing more than that.

Later that evening, she finished the online course she had been taking on nonverbal communication as part of her continuing education to keep her social work license. She wasn't sure why there was an entire section on "Signals of Attraction." They must have adapted this course from a general psychology text, since that wouldn't be relevant to social work. Still, the parts about body language in children and signs of abusive relationships would be helpful for her job. Lynn easily passed the final test and was glad to get her online course out of the way before her weekend with Steve.

* * *

A few days later, Steve and Lynn were waiting for Danny and his girlfriend to show up for their double date. When a knock sounded on the door, Steve practically bounded off the couch like a puppy. He opened the door to a man and a woman. So, this must be Danny and his girlfriend, who Steve had just informed her was named Melissa.

Steve embraced Danny tightly, as if he hadn't seen the guy in years instead of just a few hours. "I'm so glad to see you, Danno."

Lynn frowned a little. They seemed to be holding each other longer than most platonic friends would. But maybe her nonverbal communication course was just making her see stuff that wasn't there.

Danny rolled his eyes as he pulled out of the hug. "I told you not to call me that." But his smile seemed genuine, indicating that he didn't really mind the nickname.

"Yeah, until I said it was a term of endearment. Then you told me to call you that every day."

Lynn's brain hit the brakes, and she could practically hear squealing tires in her head. _Term of endearment?_ Nicknames were a sign of familiarity, but a "term of endearment" sounded like something you would give a significant other. Not your platonic friend and work partner.

Danny shook his head, and Lynne swore that she saw him blushing a little. _Well, that's weird._ Melissa cleared her throat and shot Steve an annoyed glare. "You haven't introduced us yet."

Steve straightened to a more formal posture. "Lynn, this is my partner Danny Williams and his girlfriend, Melissa Armstrong. Danny and Melissa, this is Lynn Downey, my girlfriend."

Lynn shook Danny and Melissa's hands. She noted that the couple looked pretty good together and that Melissa even had a similar accent to Danny. She could see why they were together.

Lynn glanced over at Steve when she was shaking Danny's hand to see that Steve was looking at Danny proudly, as if he was introducing Danny as his boyfriend to Lynn, instead of the other way around. _Okay, now you're just imagining stuff._

Steve led the group away from the front door, taking Danny's bag from him. Lynn felt a little odd when she saw that and turned towards Melissa to see what she thought of it. She was staring at the ground with a pinched expression and still carrying her heavy-looking bag.

"Hey, you want me to take that?" Lynn asked quietly. The two men were ahead of them, bantering about something.

Melissa smiled gratefully. _Wow, she's gorgeous._ "Thanks."

Lynn returned her grin. "No problem."

Lynn went upstairs to Steve's guest room, where Steve had told her that Melissa and Danny would be staying this weekend. If Melissa and Lynn weren't on a double date with two men, Lynn would have considered gauging if Melissa was interested in other women and then possibly asking her out. She was beautiful, and she seemed to carry an air of sadness with her. Lynn wanted to make her smile again.

As it was, Lynn decided that she would make friends with Melissa this weekend.

When she returned downstairs, Melissa seemed eager to go out into Steve's huge backyard and enjoy the beach. Everyone else agreed with her idea and went to go change into their swimwear.

* * *

Lynn felt a little discouraged when she came out in her bikini and Steve barely seemed to notice her. But he definitely noticed Danny, if the gulp in his throat when he came down the stairs and the fleeting up and down glance when he strolled outside were any indication. Steve was obviously attracted to Danny, and she didn't need a body language course to tell her that.

Lynn felt uncomfortable, but not because Steve was attracted to other men. She would be a total hypocrite if that was the case. She felt irritated that Steve hadn't told her that he was bisexual. Lynn had shared that she was bisexual after a couple of months of dating Steve, once she felt comfortable enough around Steve to share something so personal. It would have been the perfect opportunity for Steve to make a similar admission.

The number one priority in Lynn's relationships, regardless of commitment level, was honesty. It was why she had been so upset when she found the engagement ring Steve had planned to give Catherine in his drawer last year. She didn't like the idea of Steve keeping secrets from her. But she had only been a little bothered when Steve left the country with his ex to go find his mother. Lynn could tell that Steve was being honest about his intentions in leaving with Catherine.

It looked like Steve had been hiding more things from her than Lynn had thought. But Lynn was determined to enjoy this weekend. She discreetly checked out Melissa in her bikini while her boyfriend ogled his partner.  _Hey, fair's fair._

"You look like a model or something, Mellissa," Lynn told her.

"I am actually," Melissa said. She grinned again and tilted her head. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess. You're just really tall."

Melissa chuckled and shoved Lynn's shoulder playfully. "Race you out there?"

"You are so on."

Melissa beat her to the shoreline thanks to her long, gazelle-like legs. Everyone surfed for a while, and Melissa wiped out several times. Since she was from the Northeast like Danny was, she probably hadn't spent as much time on a surfboard as Steve or Lynn had. Danny took some time out on the sand to help her improve her form and had placed his hands on her hips to show her how to stand on the surfboard.

Lynn watched their body contact and considered that her earlier suppositions, about Danny at least, may have been incorrect. And then she heard a deep sigh next to her.

Steve was gazing at Danny and Melissa and his eyes held more heartbreak than Lynn had ever seen from him, even when he had talked about how Catherine had left before he could propose to her. Steve must have felt Lynn's stare, because he turned towards her, with none of the despair showing in his eyes from before, and flashed her a happy smile. He would have fooled her if she hadn't seen his expression.

"Having a good time, Lynn?"

Lynn nodded, concealing her reaction to how Steve had been looking at Danny and Melissa. _What the hell is going on?_ "Your beach is great, Steve."

"I'm glad you're having a good time."

Melissa and Danny came back to surfing for a while, and Melissa was better than she had been earlier. After a while, Danny begged off, saying that he was getting tired of surfing. Steve quit when Danny did, which made Lynn raise her eyebrows a little. She had been surfing at Steve's house before and knew that he could go surfing for much longer than this.

The two men sat in two Adirondack chairs set up near the beach. They appeared to be engaged in some kind of meaningful conversation. Danny's feet were slightly angled toward Steve as he spoke, and Lynn remembered that line from the course that mentioned that as a sign of attraction. She really needed to get that module out of her head.

Lynn decided to put her surfboard up so that she could just swim for a while. As she put it back on the beach towel she had put down earlier, she saw that Danny had progressed to letting his hand rest on Steve's knee. _What is going on with those two?_

Lynn waded out several feet, enjoying how the waves lightly slapped against her waist. The sun was setting in spectacular colors, and Lynn appreciated the natural beauty. Steve's view was fantastic. She moved slightly and saw Steve laughing at something Danny had said. His whole upper body moved, and Steve was smiling wider than Lynn had ever seen him. She felt a faint stirring of jealousy and bit her lower lip. Steve had never looked so carefree with her.

Suddenly, Lynn felt a blast of cool water hit her face and shrieked. She turned and saw Melissa standing a few feet away from her and smirking.

"You gonna watch the guys all day?"

"Hell no."

Lynn smiled wickedly, and Melissa ran away. Lynn chased her, giggling when Melissa yelled playfully when Lynn splashed her in retaliation. Having fun with Melissa was a lot better than wondering about her boyfriend and his partner.

* * *

While Steve made dinner, Lynn had the opportunity to get to know Melissa a little better. She found out that Melissa had moved to Hawaii from New York a few years ago and that she had met Danny only a few months after arriving on the island. She had done some swimsuit modeling for fashion magazines as well as some catalogue work. Lynn told Melissa about her job, and Melissa said that her work with the courts and vulnerable children was "admirable."

"Sometimes, people really need someone like you, Lynn," Melissa said. "Someone they can reach out to, who can help them when they're afraid."

There was a faint look of pain in her eyes. Lynn wondered if Melissa had been abused at some point, or if she had been in some other kind of situation where she needed a social worker. She didn't ask, because that wasn't the kind of thing a person would share when they just met someone. Instead, she smiled gently at Melissa and put her hand over Melissa's, squeezing lightly.

She withdrew her hand when Steve entered the room to inform them that dinner was ready. Lynn felt somewhat guilty. She had only meant the gesture as a show of support, but Steve could have seen it very differently. But he seemed unruffled. Perhaps he didn't see anything.  _Maybe he wouldn't care_ _._

When the group ate dinner out on the lanai, Steve and Danny sat next to each other with their girlfriends at their sides. Lynn listened to the stories Steve and Danny shared, but she was also paying a lot of attention to the way Danny regularly touched Steve, putting a hand briefly on Steve's forearm or quickly letting his hand graze Steve's chest. Lynn got the impression that Danny was a very tactile person who spoke with his hands, but he was touching Steve far more than he had his girlfriend. Every time Danny touched him, Steve looked like he was trying to contain how pleased he was. But he couldn't hide it from Lynn's eagle eye.

And then there were the actual words. She could see what Alani had meant when she said that they "bickered like an old married couple." They weren't in perfect agreement, but, based on their constant smiles, they seemed to actually enjoy the arguing. And they were always finishing each other's sentences.

Near the end of their meal, Lynn looked past their boyfriends to see how Melissa was taking this. Melissa glumly twirled a leaf of lettuce on her fork from the salad Danny had made when Steve prepared the steak. She rose her gaze to meet Lynn's, smiling in a way that didn't meet her eyes and shrugging. Melissa seemed to feel that Steve and Danny's behavior was normal and was resigned at that fact.

After dinner, the group decided to watch a movie. Danny had brought a few with him for this weekend. Melissa and Lynn wanted to watch the romantic comedy, and Steve and Danny deferred to the women's choice. Melissa evidently wanted to snuggle with her boyfriend, as she pulled Danny onto the couch by his hand and immediately cuddled into his side. Lynn pulled Steve onto the couch in a similar position, sitting next to Melissa. Steve wrapped an arm loosely around Lynn's shoulders, and the group began to watch the movie in silence.

About halfway through the movie, everyone laughed when the main male character did something particularly ridiculous to capture the attention of his love interest. Lynn laughed so hard that she was snorting. Melissa leaned over to whisper something in Danny's ear, and he chuckled. They were probably sharing some private joke.

Lynn heard Steve make the same sighing noise he had a few hours ago and shot her gaze from the TV to him. Steve was watching Danny and Melissa again, looking hopeless with longing. He turned his gaze forward to the TV before Danny or Melissa could notice. He snickered at the next funny part of he movie, but it seemed like he was putting on a show to Lynn.

Lynn could barely pay attention to the rest of the movie. She was too busy questioning if her boyfriend was wishing that he was on a date with his friend instead of a double date with her.

Melissa yawned once the movie was over, and Danny suggested that he and Melissa go to bed. Melissa agreed, and they went upstairs to Steve's guest room. Lynn watched Steve sympathetically as his hands clenched and unclenched in his lap and he smiled tightly when he said goodnight to Danny. Steve really seemed impacted by the idea of Danny going to bed with Melissa.

Lynn faked a yawn and stretched her arms exaggeratedly. "I'm tired too."

Steve turned off the TV. "Yeah, let's get some rest."

When they went upstairs, Steve went into the bathroom to change into his pajamas, and Melissa changed into a nightie she had packed. By silent, mutual agreement, they had decided not to have sex. Steve probably wouldn't want to have sex with his friend in the same house, and Lynn wouldn't have wanted to have sex with Steve until she could reconcile her new suspicions about him and his feelings for Danny.

His kiss goodnight felt perfunctory. "Goodnight, Lynn."

"Night, Steve." Steve turned away from her, adjusting the pillow to fit under his head better. Lynn tucked herself under the covers and frowned. They didn't usually cuddle, and it hadn't really bothered Lynn before. She figured Steve just wasn't the cuddling type. _Maybe he would be, if you were Danny._

Steve fell asleep within a few minutes, snoring, but Lynn remained awake for almost two hours before she finally managed to fall asleep.


	2. Signs of Deception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve scoffed. "I'm not in love with Danny." But his eyes had drifted towards the coffee table behind them, and his feet were shuffling awkwardly. _Classic signs of deception. That part of the course was useful for this weekend, too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This second chapter ended up being a lot longer, but I finally got us to a really sappy slash and femslash ending! Minor note: there is some slight Steve and Danny bashing in this chapter, but keep in mind that it's from Lynn's POV. She gets fed up with their BS, and she's very protective of Melissa (so the Danny bashing may be somewhat harsher). I still love the guys, and I wouldn't have written this story if I didn't.
> 
> Also, I looked up stuff about the actresses on the H50 wiki, and apparently Lynn is 5'4 1/2," and Melissa is 5'7." Part of my "bisexual Lynn" headcanon now includes her having a thing for tall men and women, LOL.
> 
> I included some minor references to 6.07 for this (Lynn's car and the location at the end of the story). Also, there's a reference to the first McDanno "I love yous" in 4.19, since Melissa was standing in the background when that happened.
> 
> The song Lynn listens to at the end is "She Keeps Me Warm" by Mary Lambert. ;-)

The next day, Steve woke up Lynn. His damp hair meant that he had already probably done his morning swim. Lynn didn't know very much about Steve, but she knew that he liked to exercise in the morning.

He kissed her on the forehead. "Good morning. It's almost time for breakfast."

Lynn blinked and stretched to get the crimp out of her neck. "All right. I'll be down in a few."

Steve left the bedroom, and Lynn changed into the clothes she had packed for today. When she was downstairs, Steve was at the stove making eggs, and Danny was making coffee. Melissa was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Do you need anything special, Lynn?" Danny asked. "Or do you just use creamer and sugar like regular people?"

Melissa rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's comment. Lynn sensed that there was some kind of story she was missing.

"Just a little bit of sugar's fine for me," Lynn replied. She didn't really like creamer in her coffee.

Danny turned towards Steve with a smirk. "Well, apparently your girlfriend is more normal than you are, Steve. Because you put 'grass fed butter' in your coffee."

Lynn sat next to Melissa, who shared a bitter smile with her. Lynn's unhappiness must have been visible. She hadn't known how Steve took his coffee, but Danny did.

"It stimulates brain function, Danno. I don't know why you have to be so weird about it." This sounded like banter they had shared a million times.

Lynn tuned out their words and focused on the way Danny maneuvered easily around Steve as he moved to the refrigerator to get some bread for toast. The intimacy and domesticity of their actions struck Lynn. They didn't just bicker like an old married couple, as Alani had said. They acted like an old married couple in so many ways, ways that Lynn couldn't just attribute to the closeness of cop partners.

Lynn was drawn out of her musings when Danny put a plate in front of her. "I think the coffee machine's ready." He smiled at her gently, probably assuming that she was just sleepy. It wasn't the real reason why she was so distracted, but she would let Danny think whatever he wanted.

"Thanks." Lynn stood up to get her coffee, and Melissa followed her. She reached above her to get her own mug when Lynn opened the door for Steve's cabinet, and Lynn blushed a little when Melissa brushed past her. Lynn had always been drawn to tall people, whether they were men or women, and Melissa was a few inches taller than her. Lynn pictured herself standing on her tiptoes to kiss Melissa and immediately discarded the thought. She was on a date with her _boyfriend_ , even if he was acting practically married to another man.

"So, I heard we were doing a yoga class today," Melissa said. The low quality of her voice was insanely attractive, especially after the little daydream Lynn had just had. _Shut up, brain._

Lynn poured out some coffee for herself and added just a pinch of sugar. "Yeah, I suggested it to Steve. I love doing yoga. It's so relaxing."

She moved so that Melissa could get coffee for herself. "I've only done a little bit of yoga, just some tapes and stuff," Melissa said. Lynn nodded. That was most of her friends' level of experience with yoga. Melissa grinned and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I guess you'll have to spot me if we do anything very... strenuous."

Lynn practically choked when Melissa winked at her and then sauntered off to the table as if nothing had happened. _Was Melissa just flirting with me?_ Lynn took her coffee and followed Melissa to the table. She was eating her eggs with a perfectly innocent expression on her face, so Lynn concluded that Melissa was either a master at teasing people or hadn't meant anything with her comment. For some reason, that disappointed Lynn. She decided to focus on her boyfriend and found him engaged with Danny, in an argument, over of all things, their choice in the jelly they wanted to put on their toast. _Jesus Christ, they are ridiculous._ Lynn ate her eggs and looked at the available selection of jellies. When she reached out to grab the grape jelly, her hand met Melissa's.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Melissa said. "This is just my favorite. You go first."

It was Lynn's favorite too. "No, you can go." Lynn prayed she wasn't blushing too much. She was practically holding Melissa's hand, and after their odd conversation at the coffee machine, it felt strangely intense.

Lynn glanced up to see that Steve and Danny were no longer arguing. Steve was giving her a skeptical, knowing look _(as if he has any right to do so)_ , while Danny's gaze was darting between them like he was watching a tennis match.

Lynn slowly withdrew her hand, and Melissa took the jelly, evidently unaware of how Steve and Danny were looking at them. Danny nudged Steve, making some kind of unreadable face and then tilting his head toward the two women on the other side of the table. Steve shrugged, making a confused face, and Danny apparently considered the matter settled since he returned to drinking his coffee, watching the women a bit more closely than he had been before. It had been the most bizarre display of nonverbal language Lynn had ever seen. Her course didn't cover what it meant when people could communicate entire sentences without speaking, but Lynn knew.

* * *

After breakfast, the group prepared to take their yoga class. When Melissa came downstairs, she had her hair in a ponytail. Lynn thought she looked really cute like that, which was _so_ not a thought she needed to be having right now. But when she decided to look at her boyfriend instead to remind herself that she was dating a hot Navy SEAL, she saw Steve taking Danny's yoga bag and opening the front door for him. Lynn's jaw dropped open at what she saw. Steve was acting more like an old-fashioned boyfriend to Danny than he ever had with her. Lynn had never needed that kind of chivalry from her boyfriends, but her gut was churning with envy when she saw how Steve acted with Danny.

She clenched her jaw shut and went outside with the others. Without thinking about it, she walked over to Steve's car, frowning when it seemed like everyone had suddenly disappeared.

She felt a hand tugging at her arm, and saw Melissa standing next to her. "Come on, Steve's taking Danny's car."

Lynn let herself be dragged towards Danny's car, while a steady stream of _"What the fuck?"_ resounded over and over in her head.

As they drove to the place that held the outdoor yoga lesson, Lynn watched Steve and Danny briefly argue over what they would listen to on the radio before they settled on a station that was acceptable. But her mind was still stuck on what she had seen earlier, and what she had seen yesterday. The facts were these:

1\. Steve and Danny "bickered" like an old married couple. Like a _happy_ old married couple.  
2\. Steve and Danny had apparently had breakfast together before. Multiple times.  
3\. Steve had looked depressed when he saw Danny and Melissa acting like a couple yesterday. _Twice._  
4\. Danny touched Steve frequently. Even now, his hand quickly brushed the arm that dangled between their seats.  
5\. Steve looked pleased when Danny touched him. She could see his tiny smile in the rear view mirror.  
6\. Steve carried Danny's stuff for him and opened the door for him.  
7\. Danny let Steve drive his car.  
8\. When they were around each other, both of them barely noticed their girlfriends.  
9\. They knew each other incredibly well and didn't even need words to know what the other one was thinking.  
10\. In general, they clearly showed the "Signals of Attraction." And possibly more than that.

When the car pulled up to the yoga center, Lynn plastered a grin on her face. She had been looking forward to this yoga lesson, and she wasn't going to let her confusion over her boyfriend ruin it.

Maybe this lesson would give her a chance to clear her head so that she could figure out what to do about Steve. She always felt more focused after a yoga session.

The group got out of the car, and Steve led them to the place hosting the outdoor yoga session. Danny and Melissa set up their mats next to each other, and then Steve set his up next to Danny. Of course. The only spot left was next to Steve.

Lynn set up her yoga mat, pushing the disappointment that she wouldn't get to "spot" Melissa from her mind, closing her eyes when the yoga instructor began with breathing exercises, telling them to inhale and exhale slowly.

* * *

Lynn had deliberately not watched Steve and Danny during the yoga session. Seeing Steve check out Danny when he did the Downward Facing Dog pose, which she had inadvertently noticed, wouldn't exactly help her decide anything. She couldn't even see Melissa from this angle, but she also didn't need to be distracted by Melissa in her sports bra and tight yoga pants.

The session hadn't been the most intense one Lynn had ever done, but it was still a good workout. She opened her water bottle, taking a sip as Steve packed up his stuff, taking Danny's bag once again. Melissa's nose scrunched as she saw that. She looked upset, but not shocked, at how Danny and Steve were acting like boyfriends in front of her. Lynn didn't know what to do about Steve yet, but she vowed to herself that she would talk to Melissa if she got the chance before this weekend was over.

When they were riding home, with Steve once again driving Danny's car, Lynn came to a decision. She would talk to Steve once this "staycation" was over, and she would probably break up with him. In addition to honesty, Lynn also valued feeling like an important person to her significant others. It wouldn't have bothered her if Steve had just had some kind of mild crush on Danny, but it seemed like he was in love with Danny. She had seen how he was with Catherine, the lingering traces of feelings that hadn't entirely disappeared once their relationship ended, and wasn't hurt by it. That kind of interaction with an ex was expected. But his interaction with Danny was not how Lynn would expect Steve to act with a friend, even his best friend. And Lynn didn't want to be a second-place consolation prize because Steve thought he couldn't be with the person he actually wanted.

 _Especially since he's probably wrong about that_ , Lynn thought. Danny did let Steve drive his car after all.

Steve pulled up to his house, and the group went back inside. Melissa went back upstairs, telling everyone that she needed to shower. Lynn didn't feel that hot, so she just decided to get a beer before she changed. She went into Steve's kitchen, passing him on the way.

"Hey, Lynn?" Steve called.

"Yeah?" Cool, Steve had Fire Rock Pale Ale, her favorite variety of beer. She grabbed a bottle, and stood up, walking over to the counter. She rummaged through his drawers in search of a bottle opener.

"Danny and I are going out to buy some stuff for dinner tonight. Will you be cool with Melissa for a while?"

She puzzled over his statement. _Why would Steve and Danny need to go grocery shopping together? I guess they like to do everything together._

She looked over at Steve, sending him a content smile that concealed her true thoughts. "Yeah, sure. I'll let Melissa know." _Besides, it will give me a chance to talk to Melissa later._

Steve nodded, and Lynn looked back through his drawers, grinning when she found a bottle opener. "See you later, Lynn."

Lynn was drinking her beer, so she tipped her beer instead of verbally replying to Steve. He left with Danny, and Lynn let out an exhausted sigh once the door closed behind them.

She strolled over to Steve's couch, turning on the TV and flicking through the channels until she ran into a _Friends_ marathon. Lynn decided to settle on that, finishing off her beer and laughing lightly at the familiar antics of the characters. It was easier to get immersed in the problems of fictional characters instead of focusing on her own.

Once she was done with her beer, Lynn got up off the couch and discarded the bottle in the bin Steve used in the house for recyclable items. She walked upstairs to change back into her normal clothes, hearing the shower turn off. _I guess I'll see Melissa soon._

When Lynn came back downstairs, Melissa was dressed in her regular clothes and drying her long, wet hair with a towel. Lynn remembered how Steve had damp hair when she woke up this morning and tried to ignore the comparison she had made. She was being silly. "Hey, Lynn."

"Hey, Melissa. Steve has a few different kinds of beer in his fridge. Do you want anything?"

"Sure. Anything's fine."

Lynn walked into the kitchen, getting a Longboard for Melissa and taking off the top for her. She returned to the kitchen, settling next to Melissa, who wrapped her hair in the towel and took the bottle from Lynn. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

They watched the show for a few minutes in silence. It felt more companionable than awkward.

Melissa laughed. "You know, this sitcom is totally ridiculous."

Lynn quirked her lips. "How so?"

"Well, first of all, there's no way Monica's apartment would be that big."

Lynn shrugged. "I guess I wouldn't know. I've never been outside Hawaii for longer than a vacation."

Melissa seemed to be reminiscing about something. "Danny immediately noticed the apartment thing, 'cause he's from New Jersey. Apartments aren't very big there either. And, I don't really get the emphasis on the coffee house on this show. It's not like it's Seattle."

Lynn nodded along. She didn't know much about New York or Seattle personally, but she knew that coffee was a big deal in the latter city. "You and Danny have a lot in common, huh?"

Melissa grinned. "Yeah, when we first met, I used to call him Jersey. It was nice to meet somebody out here who understood me. I felt kind of like a fish out of water for a while."

Lynn wanted to ask why Melissa moved out to Hawaii in the first place, but refrained from it. Moving away from New York seemed like an unusual career move for a model. If Melissa had some kind of bad past, as Lynn had suspected from their conversation yesterday, it could have explained why she moved.

Instead, Lynn decided to inquire more about Melissa and Danny. "So, how long have you and Danny been dating?"

"Going on three years now."

 _Three years. Wow._ Lynn felt guilty about her plans to break up with Steve. If she confronted Steve about her suspicions and then he went to Danny after their break up to confess his feelings, Melissa could end up getting hurt. Three years was a long time to be dating someone.

Lynn swallowed heavily. "So I guess you guys are pretty serious, huh?"

Melissa chuckled, but it soon turned into laughter, and then sobbing. Lynn reached out to touch her shoulder. "Hey, Meliss, are you--?"

Melissa shook her head, forcing the tears away and wiping her cheeks. _She's trying to put up a wall_ , Lynn realized. How long had she done that, hid her feelings to look strong in front of other people? Lynn thought it must have been a long time.

"I'm fine. Your question was just really, really funny, in a pathetic sort of way."

Lynn rubbed the shoulder she had touched earlier. "What do you mean?"

"Danny doesn't love me, but I love him. A relationship can't be that serious if the guy doesn't love you."

Lynn felt her heart break for Melissa. "I'm so sorry. Are you sure?"

Melissa nodded. "He can't even say the words. I brought it up with him last Valentine's Day, but apparently, he can only say it when he really means it."

 _Ouch. Did he really tell her that? How horrible!_ Lynn struggled to find something comforting to say. "Some guys are just more closed off about that kind of thing." That was what Lynn had thought about Steve, before this weekend had made it clear that his heart was clearly consumed with love for his partner.

Melissa huffed out a breath. "Not him. I've seen him say it to Steve before. It was after a life or death situation, but he said it. And Steve said it back." She waved her hand in the air vaguely. "You've seen them together. You know how they are."

Lynn nodded, more sure of Danny's side of it than ever. If Danny could say 'I love you' to Steve but not his girlfriend, that didn't look very good for Melissa.

Lynn stared at her miserable companion on the couch. "Why do you stay with him?"

Melissa shrugged. "It could be worse. I've been through worse." Melissa sighed, took a sip of her beer, and glanced over towards Lynn with a meaningful expression. Lynn didn't need words to understand Melissa. She had seen that expression of a battle-hardened survivor many times throughout her career. Melissa had definitely experienced the worst of men, the kind of boyfriend who would give his girlfriend a black eye if she stepped one toe out of line.

Melissa all but confirmed it with her next words. "Danny's one of the better guys out there. Is it perfect? No. But there's not a lot of guys out there like Danny. I feel safe with him."

Melissa stared blankly ahead at the TV, finishing off the dregs of her beer, while Lynn figured out how to respond. She didn't hold Danny Williams on a pedestal like Melissa did. He may have not been an abuser, but he hadn't been a good boyfriend to Melissa. She deserved to feel safe, of course, but she also deserved someone who would tell her everyday that they loved her. Everyone did. Lynn knew any number of guys who would love to date someone like Melissa.

But when Melissa put her empty beer bottle on the coaster on Steve's coffee table, Lynn decided not to mention them. Instead, she cleared her throat before settling the hand that had been rubbing Melissa's arm just above Melissa's knee. "Well, you know, Meliss, guys aren't the _only_ option."

Melissa seemed to take the hint. Her eyes widened and she blushed, but she didn't seem uncomfortable with what Lynn was doing. Lynn had kept the movement subtle since she didn't want to scare Melissa off. And if Melissa was straight, Lynn hoped she would just be able to play it off as a joke. Melissa gazed down at Lynn's hand on her knee, but she didn't move. Lynn smirked, but she was waiting for Melissa to say something.

When keys jangled in the lock, Melissa startled and moved away a few inches like a frightened bunny. _The guys must be back._

When the door opened, Steve entered, followed by Danny. They were both carrying groceries. Since Melissa was still trying to compose herself, Lynn decided to take over greeting the men. "Hey, you guys need any help getting the groceries?"

"No, we're fine," Steve said. "Just another load. Besides, you guys look really involved in whatever TV show you're watching."

Lynn was about to reply that it was just repeats of an old show, but Danny spoke next. "Yeah, it's a miracle considering that Steve wanted to buy the entire grocery store out of pineapple."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Please. It was only four pineapples. And I cut it down to three."

"Only four? _Only?_ Babe, I love you, but you have no idea what the word 'only' means."

Lynn looked towards her side in confusion when she heard a pained, whimpering noise. But when she saw Melissa's face, it hit her. Danny had said, 'I love you' to Steve during one of their dumb arguments. And he had called Steve babe. _Right in front of his girlfriend. God, he's such an asshole._

"Melissa?" To Danny's credit, at least he sounded concerned about his girlfriend. But Lynn still felt annoyed on Melissa's behalf when she saw the baffled expression on his face, as if he had no idea what had upset her. _What an idiot._

Melissa pulled the towel out of her hair which was almost dry by now. "You know what, I'm done." Her words were not loud, but they were decisive and carried a sense of finality.

"Done? Done with what?"

Melissa laughed hysterically. "Done with this relationship, done with this fucking weekend-- no offense Steve-- just done. I'm fed up, and I'm done."

"You're fed up? Why? What did I do?"

Melissa laughed again, and this time, tears leaked out of her eyes. "What did you do? _What did you do?_ Are you seriously asking me that question right now?! You don't love me when I sleep with you or go on dates with you or fucking tell you that, but you love Steve when he gets too many goddamn pineapples! Pineapples!" She shook her head before turning to face Steve. "You won! Congratulations, I guess."

Melissa turned around, walking out of Steve's house, and Danny ran after her. Lynn turned towards her boyfriend, who had a dumbfounded expression.

Steve opened and closed his mouth a few times before he managed to speak. He gestured in the direction Melissa and Danny had gone. "What the fuck was that?"

Lynn stood up from the couch, walking over towards Steve. "I think that was Melissa, breaking up with Danny. And from the looks of it, I would have to say, good for her."

"Good for her? Did you tell Melissa to do that?"

Lynn shook her head. "No, Melissa decided to do that herself. And, I hate to tell you this, Steve, but I'm doing the same thing."

"You're breaking up with me?"

Lynn nodded, hating the hurt look she put on his face. But it had to be done. "I'm sorry, Steve. You were a great boyfriend, but I get the feeling you would be an even better boyfriend to Danny."

"What? Danny?" Steve's voice sounded kind of squeaky. It was normally so deep.

"Yeah. Danny. Only a weekend around you guys, and I figured out that you were totally in love with him. Not me. And it would probably be best for us to break up now, before there can be too much bitterness and before we turn into that." She pointed out the window, where she could see Danny frantically gesturing at Melissa as he spoke, while Melissa crossed her arms and shook her head at everything he said.

Steve scoffed. "I'm not in love with Danny." But his eyes had drifted towards the coffee table behind them, and his feet were shuffling awkwardly. _Classic signs of deception. That part of the course was useful for this weekend, too._

Lynn shook her head sternly. "You know, I might believe you if you could actually look me in the eyes when you said that."

When Steve did manage to look at her, he looked sad, but not as sad as he could have been. He seemed more remorseful than anything else. "I guess we're over then, huh?"

Lynn smiled weakly. She had really liked Steve, but it was time to let him go. "Yeah we are." She leaned up to kiss his cheek one last time. "I'll see you around."

She went up to Steve's bedroom to pick up her stuff and stopped by the guest room. She unzipped a bag filled with women's clothes. _That must be Melissa's._ She noticed the laundry bag hanging on the closet door filled with Melissa's clothes from the previous day and shook her head when she saw that Danny didn't have a matching bag. _They do their laundry together? Fucking unbelievable._ She put the laundry bag in Melissa's luggage, zipped up the duffle bag, and took it down with her stuff.

By the time she came outside, Danny was pleading with Melissa. "Meliss, look, I swear, it's not how it sounds..."

Melissa shook her head. "Really? Because it sounds like you're in love with Steve." Danny apparently couldn't say anything in response to that, and Melissa glanced over at Lynn, who was approaching the pair behind Danny. "But maybe I'm wrong. What do you think, Lynn?"

Danny turned towards Lynn, but she ignored him to speak directly to Melissa. "I think Danny and Steve are both fucking idiots. And I just dumped Steve's idiot ass, because I'm done too." She tossed Melissa's bag to her, and she caught it easily. Lynn finally turned to look at Danny. "I didn't even know there was a competition, but I guess you won, too."

Danny's eyes slowly filled with hope, and his gaze darted between Melissa and the house, where Steve was waiting for him.

This was too much for Melissa, who rolled her eyes at her ex-boyfriend. "Just go, dumbass."

Danny rushed off to the house, and Melissa chuckled when he was gone. "God, I'm gonna miss that idiot. Thanks for getting my stuff, by the way."

Lynn didn't really see why Melissa would miss Danny, but she felt the same way about Steve, even though he had been just as stupid. "You're welcome. I figured you wouldn't want to go back there when they started making out or something."

Melissa held up a hand to contain her huge laugh. "Hell no." And then she sighed. "Not that I can really get out of here now. Danny was kind of my ride over here."

Lynn hadn't thought of that. "I'll drive you back. Just tell me your address."

Melissa smiled, grateful for Lynn's offer. "Sure."

On their way to Melissa's house, Lynn let Melissa control the radio. She found a station playing Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" and grinned like a little kid who had gotten an excellent haul at Halloween. "Can I turn this up?" Melissa asked.

Lynn couldn't deny Melissa anything when she had that look on her face. "Go ahead."

Melissa adjusted the volume and began banging her head and belting out the lyrics. She looked like she was having a hell of a lot of fun, so Lynn decided to join her. She glanced over at Melissa, who was smiling at her, before she turned out onto Kalakaua Avenue.

The top of Lynn's Jeep Wrangler was down, so a few people in passing cars gave them weird looks as they blasted the lyrics, but Lynn was too elated to really care. The lyrics didn't perfectly match her or Melissa's situation, but it felt cathartic to express some of the anger she felt.

When the song ended, Melissa turned down the volume to something moderate, and Lynn could hear her giggling. "That was so much fun."

Lynn was having to breathe hard to get her breath back. "It really was."

Lynn put on her turn signal, so they could go into Melissa's neighborhood. "This weekend really sucked, but the only non-crappy part of it was meeting you."

The light changed, and Lynn turned left. "Thanks. I think."

Melissa hummed thoughtfully. Lynn glanced at her after they made the turn and saw that she was in a much better mood than when they had left Steve's house.

After a couple minutes of silence, Lynn spoke. "You know, we should exchange phone numbers. I figure we could commiserate."

"Yeah, I have some friends that I could talk to about breakup stuff, but I don't think any of them got dumped for another guy."

Lynn also didn't think her friends would understand their unusual situation. "Hey, _we_ did the dumping. Remember that."

Melissa pointed out that her apartment building was on the next street, and she turned with a sigh. It wasn't too far until she was parked in front of the high-rise building. "So I guess this is it," Lynn said.

"Guess so." Melissa took out her cell phone and handed it over to Lynn, who programmed in her number. "I really did like getting to know you."

Lynn smiled down at the phone before she handed it back to Melissa. "Well, call or text whenever you want to talk to me, or if you just want to hang."

Melissa licked her lips. "Or maybe if I want to learn about some of my non-guy options."

Melissa giggled, and Lynn couldn't help blushing at the reminder of what she had said on the couch. "Maybe."

Melissa winked at her and sashayed away, letting her hips sway seductively as she walked. Lynn could really get used to the sight.

* * *

Three weeks later, Lynn ran into Steve in the place where they had spent their second date. She had nearly snorted with laughter when Melissa told her she had developed a taste for malasadas after dating Danny. "He eats ten tons of the things, I swear." When Lynn had explained how Steve had taken her out for malasadas and coffee, which would have apparently been the perfect date for Danny, Melissa had sweetly promised that she wouldn't take her out on a date truly meant for someone else. And then Melissa had kissed her, and Lynn didn't think of anyone else for a long, long time after that.

Things with Melissa were good. Right now, she was sleeping at Lynn's house, and Lynn hoped to surprise her girlfriend with breakfast in bed. She smiled as she took her order of malasadas and two coffees to go, and her grin, strangely enough, didn't evaporate instantly when she saw Steve as she was walking out the door. It was hard to feel mad at him when Melissa was waiting at home for her. In a weird way, she wanted to thank him.

Steve was surprised to see her. "Lynn! How are you?"

"I'm good, actually."

Steve glanced down at her order. "I, uh, guess you met someone after we broke up?"

"Just before." Steve squinted, and it was still cute, but it didn't make Lynn's heart race anymore. Now, she kind of wanted to pet Steve's head like he was a goofy puppy. "Melissa."

Some of the confusion cleared on Steve's face. "I, uh, wasn't expecting that."

Lynn beamed. "I could tell. I wasn't expecting you to be in love with your partner either, but what are you gonna do?" Lynn shrugged.

"Are you... happy?" Steve seemed concerned.

Lynn took the time to review her brief relationship with Melissa. They had met up for drinks the Friday after they broke up with their boyfriends, and Melissa had tentatively admitted that she, "maybe, possibly, wanted to explore some of her non-guy options" with Lynn. They had a few giggly, drunken kisses that night and went on their first date that Saturday. Melissa was great, and Lynn loved seeing her smile and laugh. She was doing a lot more of that these days. Lynn knew Melissa had been in love with Danny, but she seemed to slowly be getting over him the more time they spent together.

Lynn saw that Steve was gazing at her expectantly. "I am," she confirmed. "And are _you_ happy, with Danny?"

Steve blushed faintly at her question, and his entire face lit up. Steve was glowing. He attempted to school his expression into something more neutral, but Lynn caught it. "Yeah, I am."

"Good," Lynn said, and she meant it. "Guess I'll see you around, Steve."

"See you, Lynn." Steve stepped back so that Lynn could exit the store, and Lynn nodded appreciatively. She walked out to her Jeep, carefully placing her malasadas on the passenger seat and putting the coffee cups in the cup holders. Her cell phone vibrated, and she dug through her purse to find that Melissa had sent her a message.

_Hey, baby, where r u? I missed you when I woke up._

Lynn grinned. Her girlfriend was adorable when she was sleepy and clingy. She could picture Melissa with her mussed bedhead, pouting down at her phone. She wanted to kiss the bottom lip that jutted out, and she would get to do that in a few moments.

_Just picking up a surprise 4 u. Will brb. xoxo_

Lynn put her phone back in her purse before she tossed it in the backseat. As she turned on the ignition in her car, her lips quirked upward at the song on the radio. She didn't blast it loudly like she had when she drove Melissa home three weeks earlier, but she did sing along in a soft tone.

_And I can’t change, even if I tried_  
_Even if I wanted to_  
_My love, my love, my love, my love_  
_She keeps me warm, she keeps me warm_


End file.
